Citigroup Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:C)

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Investors acquired 108,979 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 34% compared to the typical daily volume of 81,497 call options.

More Citigroup News

Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and dealmaking strength — Citi reported $1.81 EPS vs. $1.65 expected and management highlighted a rebound in investment banking and corporate client fees, which supports earnings momentum and valuation re-ratings. Citigroup profit beats estimates as dealmaking rebounds
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and price-target lifts — Several firms refreshed views after the quarter (Wolfe Research cited constructive subsector outlook; RBC reaffirmed an outperform). That analyst activity can provide near-term buy-side support. Wolfe Research Raises Citigroup PT RBC Reaffirms Outperform (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity — Large call buying was observed (≈108,979 calls, ~34% above average). That’s a bullish short-term signal but could reflect hedging or speculative flow rather than firm fundamental conviction.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and one‑time Russia loss — Revenue missed Street estimates and reported profit was pulled down by a Russia‑unit sale; the WSJ noted the profit drop tied to that divestiture, which tempers the headline EPS beat. Citigroup’s Fourth Quarter Profit Drops After Russia Sale (WSJ)
• Negative Sentiment: Cost cuts and restructuring risk — CEO Jane Fraser signaled more job cuts and the firm is executing layoffs (1,000 announced this week; a broader plan targets many more), which could weigh on near‑term morale, execution risk and transition costs. Citigroup CEO Signals More Job Cuts (TipRanks)
• Negative Sentiment: Credit-card exposure and regulatory/sector headwinds — Commentaries flagged Citi’s consumer/credit-card exposures as a vulnerability and the broader bank sector saw selling after earnings amid valuation scrutiny and political talk of credit-rate caps, creating an ongoing overhang. Record earnings overshadowed by credit-card exposure (TipRanks) Bank Stocks Get Punished After Earnings (MarketBeat)

Citigroup Stock Up 0.6%

C stock traded up $0.75 during trading on Friday, reaching $118.21. 17,152,033 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 14,202,637. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $110.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $101.07. Citigroup has a 12 month low of $55.51 and a 12 month high of $124.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.00. The company has a market capitalization of $211.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.18.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The company reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.16. Citigroup had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 8.28%. The business had revenue of $19.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.34 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Citigroup will post 7.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Citigroup Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 2nd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Citigroup’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.43%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Citigroup

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Citigroup by 166.9% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,990 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,407,000 after buying an additional 12,499 shares during the period. Balefire LLC raised its stake in Citigroup by 40.6% in the 2nd quarter. Balefire LLC now owns 7,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $668,000 after acquiring an additional 2,268 shares during the last quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Citigroup during the 2nd quarter worth about $280,000. Sunpointe LLC purchased a new stake in Citigroup during the 2nd quarter valued at about $251,000. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 20.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 9,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,669 shares during the period. 71.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on C shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $121.00 target price on shares of Citigroup in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $150.00 price objective on Citigroup in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Bank of America increased their target price on Citigroup from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Citigroup from $123.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Citigroup from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.65.

About Citigroup

Citigroup Inc is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City with roots tracing back to the City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. The modern Citigroup was created through the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group and has since operated as a diversified bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions worldwide.

Citi’s principal businesses include retail and commercial banking, credit card and consumer lending products, wealth management and private banking, and a full suite of institutional services.